Please know that this idea has been stewing in my mind for many years now. The idea wasn’t as well formed as it currently is, but it actually began during a time when I was a solid Republican voter. My church at the time had been focusing on reaching out to the community, primarily by trying to develop relationships with people outside the church, with the hope that it would offer opportunities to share the love of Christ organically. I was blessed with the opportunity to spend time with a neighbor, who happened to be liberal in his political leanings. I found myself during our conversations purposely steering away from political talk, or at least trying not to argue with him when he would bring things up to talk about. I focused more on really just trying to listen, knowing that the love of God was more important than politics, and that arguing might get in the way of building a relationship. I was given some great opportunities to share some of the ways that faith impacted my life, and learned about how his different faith impacted his own life. Just as impactful, by listening to his views and concerns, I realized how starkly opposite my own conservative views were to the very love that I was trying to share with him; I realized that for most of the conservative points I might want to argue, I would end up contradicting the same love that I was trying to prove was inherent in Christianity. These thoughts are firmly located in the timeframe of 2016 and beyond, and so very much tied up with Trump’s prominence and popularity within the conservative culture. With his presidency and legacy in the history books, my thoughts have now become more focused on what it is that truly is a bad witness: Christians who support the Trump brand. Just because he isn’t in office anymore doesn’t make this irrelevant; the Trump brand isn’t just about Trump – it applies to any politicians who act like or espouse values which align with the way that Trump operates. Before you close your browser in rage, let me just say – I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t vote for Trump. But what I am saying is that you should keep your support for him a secret – a deep dark secret. Take down any flags or paraphernalia, and knock off the stolen election nonsense. Hide it from your public life, if for no other reason than because you are a Christian. As a Christian, your desire is to lead the unsaved to Christ, and introduce them to His love. The unsaved, however, have a particular view of Trump, which I will be detailing below. The problem is that this view of Trump and your association with him sets up a paradox. So my argument is that if you’re going to vote for him, keep it hidden from the rest of the world. Otherwise you implicate Christianity as being just another meaningless exercise in hypocritical performance. In what follows, I will offer several points of evidence, which, when taken together, form a cohesive narrative of why the way Trump and his ilk act is contrary to the gospel and why public association with them is unjustifiable from a Christian perspective.
The bully
To validate whether I’m onto something, let’s consider how people generally view Trump. Even among his most ardent supporters, I’ve found that many agree that they “don’t like” what he says on social media (before he got himself banned). He routinely ridicules people he disagrees with, handing out highly personalized and offensive insults. This is bullying, plain and simple. I’ve heard some people explain to their children that what he says is bad but what he does is good. This is a dichotomy for sure, but I think it’s in line with the point of my post: if you’re going to support Trump style politics, keep it locked away, so that you can keep up good appearances while voting however you like privately. It’s a win-win really; God wins, you win. You might say, well, it’s just words, he doesn’t really mean it, it’s all hyperbole. He’s more than his Twitter feed, and to that I say, you’re absolutely right – he is more than his words.
The narcissist
Take for instance his documented dislike for the military veteran, former POW Senator John McCain. Despite Trump not serving in the military himself, he made fun of McCain for being captured and imprisoned as a soldier – saying “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured”. Someone from Trump’s staff also asked to have the warship with Senator McCain’s name on it hidden from his view during a visit to a naval base. Or take Trump’s resistance to, upon the passing of the senator, fly the White House flags at half staff, and his reluctance to acknowledge his passing and legacy. It took an outpouring of criticism from all sides to finally give Trump the cue that his behavior was so egregious that even his staunchest supporters couldn’t stomach it. So two days after Senator McCain’s passing he stubbornly did acknowledge him, while making sure to bring focus on himself first, with a statement which begins with: “Despite our differences in policy and politics…”. Taken individually, you might say that each example by itself doesn’t amount to much, but you are missing crucial context unless you consider all evidence together. I imagine that some people might be able to explain away the prior example, so I’ll offer another. Consider the first 6 months of 2020, when we were all learning about the Coronavirus and the impact it would have on our lives. Dr. Fauci rose to public prominence, and became the face of information about the virus, its spread and prevention. His carefully nuanced explanations and insistence on focusing on science and research, refusing to make statements unless backed up by data allowed him to gain the trust of the general public. Trump very awkwardly and publicly showed his jealousy of this trust, and it was very plain that it bothered him that people liked Fauci more than himself. I don’t know how such petty behavior can be justified, except maybe by ignoring the fact that Trump was president at the time – for you might be inclined to say, on a deeply personal level, how it might feel for someone who works for you to be more “popular” than you, and you might empathize with that feeling. We, however, are talking about the President of the United States – a leadership position if there ever was any. If you work in a corporate environment, consider those leaders or managers you might think are good (or even bad). It would be an appalling lack of decorum for someone in a meeting to bemoan that they are not “liked” as much as one of their subordinates. But let’s hear what Trump said: “Nobody likes me. It can only be my personality, that’s all”. And: “Remember, he’s [Fauci] working for this administration, he’s working with us. We could’ve gotten other people. We could’ve gotten somebody else. It didn’t have to be Dr. Fauci”. Also: “He’s got this high approval rating, so why don’t I have a high approval rating and the administration with respect to the virus?” It’s really a cringeworthy set of statements that cause both pity and disdain: on a personal level, I pity the man for this rare moment of cogent reflection; I also have disdain for it, because it offers insight into how he thinks and operates as a person.
Trump also has a history of undermining those who work for him. Being familiar with who Trump is, this might not come as much of a surprise, but I think it is important to take a step back here, and think about how out of the ordinary this is, and try to think about it in the context of a corporate office environment. (We too often get caught up in the emotionally charged subjects of national politics and forget to think about the fact that at bottom, it is really about management, and is a bureaucracy, much like an office environment). In a corporate environment, it would be highly unprofessional and shocking, if someone were to give a presentation and then have their boss or someone higher berate them or contradict something they have said. Besides humiliating the employee, it would indicate a toxic environment because the leader is showing that they don’t trust their employees, or worse, think that they know better than the people actually doing the work. A true leader would be expected to preserve their subordinates’ dignity, and speak privately with them at a different time to find out why they weren’t on the same page. A leader would also have the humility and wisdom to trust that their people know what they are talking about. This article gives a great timeline of the ways that the former President consistently undermined Dr. Fauci publicly. I believe that this continual undermining is to blame for the demonization of Dr. Fauci in the conservative media bubble. Dr. Fauci isn’t an exception either; Trump has denigrated, and in some cases, fired his own appointees for merely stating opinions which differed from himself. (Again, please consider how contrary this is to your own job; you should be able to do your job and express job related opinions to your manager without fear of reprisal). Consider CDC director Redfield, who Trump said was confused regarding some statements he made about when the vaccine would be available, and on the effectiveness of masks – Trump seemed to think that he knew better than the director of the CDC. Or consider Chris Krebs, the director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Mr. Krebs was fired by Trump, publicly via Twitter, in response to the agency which Mr. Krebs headed stating that the 2020 election was the most secure in American history, as well as there being no evidence that any system changed or deleted votes. The agency had also recently published this helpful FAQ regarding common rumors and misinformation regarding election security (If you are partial to believing election fraud stories, I’d encourage you to check it out). Again, Trump seemed to think he knew better than a cybersecurity expert on what highly technical exploits are possible. (Please pause for a moment to appreciate the deep irony of a senior citizen telling an expert on cybersecurity that they don’t know what they are talking about) And finally, let’s consider William Barr, the man Trump appointed as the attorney general of the United States. If anyone was in camp Trump, it was him. After the 2020 election, however, despite dutifully looking for evidence of election fraud, Barr finally made a public statement about what was found: “To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election”. By this point of the Trump administration, most people expected Barr to be fired. We know that Trump was extremely upset with him for stating the truth as he did (Trump: “How the fuck could you do this to me? Why did you say it?”) While he wasn’t fired, it was very clear he was on thin ice, and submitted his resignation barely 2 weeks later. The pattern here is that Trump is not to be trifled with, and if you have something to say which doesn’t align with his reality, you will be let go or moved out. This all points to the kind of leader that Trump is – having a boss like this is a nightmare, and calls into question their ability to make wise decisions. In order to make wise decisions, you have to expose yourself to opinions and ideas which differ from your own, so that you can be informed about the issues of the day – issues which are complex and multifaceted. If you chill the speech of those around you by silencing unpopular views or opinions, you’ll wind up only hearing those opinions and ideas which align with what you already think. To be a wise leader, you must be willing to listen to and process opinions and truths which are uncomfortable – this is especially true for the leader of the free world.
The racist
When discussing immigration during a meeting, Trump wanted to know why we have to take people from Africa and Haiti. Actually, he said “immigrants from shithole countries”. You might say, well, that’s probably taken out of context, maybe he just meant their governments suck? Fine, except that he also said he’d rather have more people coming from Norway. Oops. One more from Trump: “Why do we need more Haitians, take them out”. An aide to Trump: “Because if you do, it will be obvious why”. I know that some people’s immediate reaction will be to cast this as another one off, something said which is taken out of context. That’s fair. So before painting Trump as something he might not be, we should gather more evidence. Let’s talk about racehorse theory. If, like me, you’ve never heard of it, it may come as a bit of a surprise that this is something that Trump believes in. He’s mentioned it multiple times. It is the idea that you can breed people, as is commonly done with racehorses, to produce better or more superior results. But, that’s my own take on it. Let’s hear from Trump what he believes about it. On 9/18/2020 at a rally in Minnesota: ”You have good genes. A lot of it is about the genes, isn’t it? Don’t you believe? The racehorse theory. You think we’re so different? You have good genes in Minnesota.” And in an interview with Larry King in 2007: “You can absolutely be taught things. Absolutely. You can get a lot better. But there is something. You know, the racehorse theory, there is something to the genes. And I mean, when I say something, I mean a lot.” And in 2010 to CNN: “I’m a gene believer… hey when you connect two race horses you get usually end up with a fast horse”. These sentiments reek of Nazism and indicate a racist belief system that is part of how he thinks and operates in the world. More importantly, these ideas serve to create the perception of Trump as a racist among many people who are not currently Christians.
The antagonizer/divider
The other aspect of Trump that I don’t think anyone would really contest, is his drive to divide and antagonize any and all who would disagree with him. And while I briefly describe this, please remember that my purpose is to give examples and reasons for the perceptions that people in general, and specifically, unbelievers will hold about Trump. My primary point isn’t to get you to change your mind regarding the man. The first example is when Trump was upset with something that a reporter had written – Trump then mocked the reporter’s disability, publicly putting on a cringeworthy and appalling display. Please watch it if you haven’t seen it. He also shows his divisive brand of politics in the way he seeks vengeance on those in his own party with whom he disagrees. Brad Raffensperger (R), the secretary of state for Georgia, wouldn’t toe the line for Trump with regard to the supposed voter fraud in Georgia. And despite Trump’s high pressure attempts to get Mr. Raffensperger to throw away his integrity, he held fast. Trump’s instinct was to punish him by endorsing a different Republican to unseat him. When many Republicans worked with Democrats to pass the Infrastructure bill in 2021, he threatened that all Republicans that took part would now be facing primaries. Because apparently, the Trump brand doesn’t allow room for differences of opinions, negotiations, or compromise – all hallmarks of what it means to be a good human. Of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach him in January of 2020, Trump has endorsed 4 primary challengers of the group, and many others are now retiring due to the party’s intolerance of anyone who doesn’t show complete loyalty to Trump. While it is understandable that Trump might not have positive feelings for these people, the instinct to actually go after those who disagree with him indicates a unique brand of politics that we might label the Trump brand. It espouses that any who disagree must be kicked out of power – that there’s no room within a party for differences of opinion. This is clearly wrong headed thinking, and a dangerous precedent to begin setting. This marks a change in politics from what I’ve been used to seeing for the last 30 years. Also included in this brand of politics, is Trump’s constant labeling of politicians with whom he disagrees as a ‘RINO’. If you disagree with Trump, you are apparently a RINO, regardless of your history in politics, and no one is safe from this charge, neither Mitt Romney nor the late Colin Powell, according to Trump.
With all this in mind, then, we can outline what people generally think about Trump, and why the points above serve to give reasons for these beliefs. Trump is viewed as a bully, who is obsessed with himself and how people view him. He will not tolerate anyone who expresses anything that is outside of his agenda, and he believes he is above the law. He believes that it is ok to destroy any political enemies, who are most often defined as not being 100% loyal or subservient to everything that he wants to accomplish, regardless of whether the means to accomplish it are illegal, immoral, or dishonest. He frequently says things which for all practical purposes, sound racist or at best, Nazi adjacent. He believes that power can and should be used to further his own personal political aspirations, as noted by the reasons for both his 1st and 2nd impeachments, the use of the DOJ to investigate absurd claims of vote fraud, the firings/alienation of experts who work for him, as well as the many questionable pardons he issued in the final hours of his presidency. When an unbeliever sees a Christian who is supportive of Trump, they will bring all these things to bear in analyzing what it might mean to be a Christian. First and foremost, because of the Christian claim that we are commanded to love one another, the seeker will wonder if this Christian they observe supporting Trump will advocate for or approve of treating others as Trump treats others. They will wonder if this Christian approves of the personal attacks and ridicule that Trump directs at others. They will wonder whether this Christian perhaps, feels similarly to Trump with regard to racehorse theory, or whether they also feel our country would be better off with immigrants from countries with larger white populations. They will wonder if this Christian will be tolerant of any opinions that the unbeliever might express which might differ from their own – or if they can even be friends with this Christian if they hold different political perspectives, especially any which are not 100% loyal to Trump. They will wonder if this Christian is a reasonable or wise person, who can take correction, or is thoughtful or kind – for all these things run contrary to the Trump brand which is so prevalent in conservative politics these days. They will wonder if being a Christian means you have to embrace conspiratorial vote theories. So as a good Christian, who maybe supports Trump, how or why are you different from Trump? How or why should an unbeliever who sees a sign in your yard or sticker on your bumper think you are any different than him? Will they believe that the Christian vision for relationships with others is harmonious with the Trump brand? Is it even a proper expectation that a Christian Trump supporter should act or think any differently than Trump? If there is, it is not obvious how or why, since the Trump brand is so tightly coupled to his behavior. Recall that we’ve seen that the Trump brand encompasses not only some of the things which are typically associated with conservatism, but it also includes a vindictive, scorched earth retribution model, which dehumanizes those with different opinions, those we disagree with, those who have different skin or genes than us, and those who are not completely 100% on board with every single little thing that we believe. The problem for Christians is that this is how Trump and his supporters are viewed, for better or worse. So when you associate yourself with Trump, you get a whole lot of associated baggage, most of which is contradictory to Christianity. This hampers your ability to witness to others, because it gives a salient impression (right or wrong) of hypocrisy. This is how you will be perceived, even if you don’t act like Trump, are kind to everyone, and never take revenge – support of Trump lumps you in with his behavior, and more so than politicians of the past – because as I’ve stated, the Trump brand is different than the politics of the past, and has a 100% loyalty litmus test that comes along it with. When you cast your lot with Trump, you signal to the world that you and he are compatible, 100%. So my answer is that no, for a Christian that supports Trump, it is not clear how loyalty to Trump and Christ can co-exist – for as we’ve seen with Trump, you’re in or you’re out – anything less than 100% might as well be zero. I will leave you with this: my point hasn’t been to get you to change your mind on Trump, that is between you and Christ. However, by signalling support for him and those like him, you create a terrible witness for Christ, and I believe cause others to view Christianity as an exercise in hypocrisy. If you care about your witness, hide your loyalty to the Trump brand, and all those who eagerly take up his mantle.
Merely Xtian 